Faculty of Management, Colombo: DM 142 Motivating Employees Principles

This report, prepared for the Faculty of Management and Finance at the University of Colombo, focuses on the principles of motivating employees. It delves into the definition of motivation, its characteristics (effort, persistence, and direction), and the basic motivation process. The report differentiates between positive and negative motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, and explores early motivation theories such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Alderfer's ERG theory, McGregor's Theory X and Y, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, and McClelland's Theory of Needs. It further examines contemporary theories including Goal-Setting Theory, Self-Efficacy Theory, Reinforcement Theory, and Equity Theory. The report also covers the practical application of these theories, providing a comprehensive overview of how managers can effectively motivate employees to achieve organizational goals. It emphasizes the importance of understanding employee needs and designing appropriate reward systems.

Faculty of Management and Finance
Department of Marketing
University of Colombo
Subject : DM 142 Basic Principles of Management
Topic : Motivating Employees
Facilitator : Dr. K. Kajendra, Senior Lecturer
(Ph.D., M.B.A., M.Com., B.Com.(Special)
Faculty of Management and Finance
Department of Marketing,
University of Colombo

❖ Motivation – the arousal of enthusiasm and
persistence to pursue a course of action
❖ Forces either intrinsic or extrinsic to a perso
that arouse enthusiasm and persistence
❖ Employee motivation affects productivity
❖ A manager’s job is to channel motivation
toward the accomplishment of goals
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If managers understand employees’ need
they can design appropriate reward syste
▪ Needs motivate people
▪ Needs translate into an internal drive
that motivates behavior
▪ People have a variety of needs
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Defines Motivation
Motivation represents an unsatisfied need which
creates a state of tension or disequilibrium,
causing the individual to move in a goal directed
pattern towards restoring a state of equilibrium, by
satisfying the need.

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The Basic Motivation Process
Unsatisfied Need
Tension or Disequilibrium
Action, Movement, or
Behaviour
Goal Equilibrium
Feedback, possible
Modification of
Unsatisfied need

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The Concepts of Motivation has 3 Basic
Characteristics
Effort
Persistence
Direction
Effort
The amount of effort put into the activity
identifies the strength of the person’s work
related behaviour.
Hard work usually reflects high motivation.

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Persistence
– Motivation is a permanent and an integral
part of a human being.
– Motivation is continuously goal directed
so that once a goal is achieved, a higher
goal is selected and efforts are exercised
towards this higher goal.

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Direction
– Direction determines the quality of the
anticipated output.
– All efforts are to be directed towards the
organizational goal.
e.g. a quality control inspector is consistently
expected to direct his efforts in discovering defects
in the produced items so that the organizational goal
of high quality out put is met.

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The Basic Motivation Process At Work
Unsatisfied Need
(High standard of living)
Tension or Disequilibrium
(Need for promotion)
Action, Movement, or
Behaviour
(Effort, publication)
Goal Equilibrium
(promotion & salary
increase)
Feedback, possible
Modification of
Unsatisfied need

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The Motivation Process Involves Three Steps
1. Analysis of Situation
• The situation that needs motivational
inducement must be sized up so as to
ascertain the motivational needs.
• Since the needs of different employees
differ both in nature as well as intensity
• A composite view of the collective needs of
the group is established with appropriate
recognition of differences in individuals needs.

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2. Selecting and applying appropriate
motivators
• A list of all devices of motivation is drawn and
a selection made of such motivators that
motivate different types of people under
different circumstances.
• Proper timing and the extent of motivation is
also to be considered.

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3. Follow-up.
Important to know that the motivators
selected are indeed providing the desired
motivation.
This can be accomplished by getting and
evaluating the feedback.